The Brunswick Planning Board held a meeting on August 25, 2026, to review a major development final plan application (Case 2614) for Phase 3 of the Thomas Point Campground. The applicant, SFC Engineering Partnership Inc. on behalf of Thomas Point RV LLC, proposed relocating 33 campsites outside the 125-foot shoreland protection overlay setback, with utility extensions and stormwater management improvements. The meeting addressed revised plans following a July 14, 2026, meeting where the coastal wetland delineation was questioned.
Good evening. Welcome to the August 25th Brunswick Planning Board meeting. We I'll introduce the members of the board here. Kelly Matson on my far right, next to Kelly, Rob Burgess, Planning Board Vice Chair, next to Rob Steve Walker, next to Steve Chris Baldwin on my near left, Tallison Harris, next to Alison, Julie Erdman, Director of Planning and Development, and next to Julie Jimmy Dielman, Deputy Director of Planning and Development. And I'm Bill Dana. We have one case before us. And it's phase three of the upgrades to the campground. Jimmy or Julie. And then I'll do an application complete completion after that. Okay. So we have case number 2614, Thomas Point Campground Phase 3, major development review final plan to continue review of a major development review final plan application submitted by SFC Engineering Partnership Inc. on behalf of Thomas Point RV LLC for the relocation of 33 campsites outside of the 125-foot shoreland protection overlay setback area. Electricity, private sewer, and water will be extended to each of the proposed gravel campsites. The subject property is located on 29 Meadow Road, Map 43 Lot 3A, and within the Rural Protection 1 or RP1 zoning district, the shoreline protection overlay, rural protection, stormwater management overlay, shoreland protection overlay, stream protection subdistrict, and the shoreland protection overlay resource protection subdistrict. Okay. I'd like a motion that the planning board concurs with planning staff's conclusion that the basic major development review application materials have been submitted and the application is complete such that the board may proceed with substantive review of the application and identification of any further information required from the applicant. All those in favor that's five in favor, one opposed. Okay. Okay, second. All right. Okay. All right. Um Tara, we I think you're there, you're behind some writing, but um I can see you. Uh thank you, uh, and Moyes for uh accommodating the and and thanks to Steve Walker for identifying the uh coastal wetland abration and um thanks for coming back to us and doing all the work that you've done. I'll turn it over to you. I'll turn it over to you now. Okay, so good evening, Chairman and members of the board. My name is Tara Akalina. I'm a civil engineer with SFC Engineering representing Thomas Point RV LLC tonight. I'm presenting our revised major development review final plan application for phase three at 29 Meadow Road Map 43 Lot 3A. I was last at the planning board on July 14th, 2026, and the planning board and town of Brunswick requested that the wetland delineation along the western portion of phase three development area be reevaluated. On July 15th, 2026, town staff conducted a site visit during high tide to observe the questioned coastal wetland areas associated with the proposed development. Based on these field observations, the town concluded that the coastal wetlands extend further inland and depicted on the previously submitted plans. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Wetlands Inventory Map and also supported this conclusion. Moyes Environmental Services confirmed this delineation on site and it provided a revised delineation plan. This morning I received an email from Julie Erdman planning director regarding concerns that protected buffer was not shown around the existing culvert connecting the stream in the center of the property to Thomas Bay. Per the Brunswick zoning regulations, the SPO district setbacks are measured from the edge of a stream or upland edge of a coast and wetland, not the culvert. So we feel the setback is properly shown. In response to the revised coast and wetland delineation, the phase three site plan has been redesigned to relocate all proposed development outside of the new 125 foot shoreline coastal buffer. The project continues to provide improvements for 33 campsites, including gravel pads, utility connections, and reconfigured internal access road. Five campsites, which are P100 and P118 through P121 have been relocated to the west side of the access road to ensure that all campsites and associate improvements are outside the 125 foot buffer. The redesign also reduces the project's overall environmental impact. The total net increase in previous area has been reduced to approximately 32,000 square feet. The revised plans incorporate stormwater management measures designed to treat and manage runoff generated by proposed improvements. These measurements include a grass oil filter to treat and infiltrate runoff and attenuate peak flow, as well as a treatment swale and meadow and forest buffers. The treatment swale has been added to the north side of the meadow buffer, and Maine DEP has approved and reviewed the stormwater amendment incorporating these revisions. In addition, the number of trees proposed for removal has been reduced from 61 to 30. Utility service to the five relocated campsites will be provided by extending the proposed water, electric, and septic infrastructure serving the campsites. But no changes to the overall utility service strategy are proposed.